I absolutely adore this game. It's so polished, so refined, radiant, even. The characters are both so endearing, I especially love that the MC isn't a blank slate. As fun as it can be to project onto a blank canvas, she is worth giving that up. Her story resonated with me, she's so well crafted all I wanted to do was to give her a hug. Her wit and charm amplifies the story and makes it something so much better. I don't even need to say anything about the vampire. He has officially reignited my vampire fever. I haven't been vampire crazy since Twilight but he... Reawakened my obsession. And what a character he is too...
The VA's did an incredible job bringing them both to life. The writing was superb, from the UI to the character art everything ties together into a lovely package. I'll admit, I've been checking every couple days to see if I can open Hesiod's Jar yet. I can't contain my excitement to think we'll see more of Abigail and Lucius. Every minute I spent playing this was a blast. I love love love it.
So, I downloaded this game because of boredom, however, I can't emphasize enough how great it is! Both leads are excellent characters (with a lot of trauma btw). I spent my whole afternoon and early evening playing through the different endings (though I still can't get the "bad" one, I lack the balls).
The romance developed gradually and the tension only grew as the story progressed, and I loved those two. Abigail is such a great MC to follow and combined with Lucius... what a delightful duo.
I cannot stress enough how much fun I had playing. I can clearly see how much effort the team must have put into this project, every aspect of it is amazing. So kudos to everyone! I hope to play more of your games in the future.
Also, I read in one of the comments below that you're working on a secret ending and I am so excited to play it as soon as it releases (but please, take your time, don't feel pressured about it)
Thank you for taking the time to let this nice comment!!! We are so glad you liked the game <3 We are making good progress on the secret ending (the jar choice), and we can't wait to share it with everyone <3
This game... is a treasure. I loved every minute of it! I love both of our poor traumatized leads, and the romance was *chef's kiss* done so well. I do have a weakness for bonding over sad pasts, just the empathy and comfort it involves. It also felt longer than just two/three hours, maybe because I was so immersed! The art, the music, the atmosphere, the writing, the voices (! Lucius oh my)... ugh I loved it all.
SPOILERS! (sort of? maybe? just in case)
.
.
The first ending I got kind of gave me whiplash, but it also gave me a fit of the giggles at how I really should have seen it coming. But then I played the other "stay" ending and I was left so satisfied. (I still don't have the courage to do the "leave" ending lol i can't i just cAN'T i can't leave the sad mosquito boy behind).
I can't wait for the secret one that's coming! More of this game and these characters can only mean good things :D
This game is so polished and an absolute treasure! The art, music, and writing are fantastic, and there are so many little details I appreciated (sprite expressions when mousing over a choice to help indicate tone, little transitions in the background, sprite positioning, the way the player name changes throughout the game...).
I love Lucius and Abigail and, more importantly, their dynamic together and how it evolves throughout the game. It all felt very organic.
I wrote down some lines because the descriptions were *chef's kiss* and I want to keep them forever. (nonspoilery)
"protruding from the ground like a sword through someone's back"
"Questions swarm my mind like locusts, and my aimless wandering doesn't yield enough fruit to feed them."
This is such a beautiful game ahh- the art and the soundtrack are both amazing! im in love <3 <3 the sassy remarks made me laugh a lot and lucius is such a sweetheart <3
i was wondering- is there something specific you have to do to unlock the secret ending or is it just not available yet?
either way 10/10 great game, thanks for making it!
Very beautiful game, I enjoyed it a lot!! The characters and story were very well done and the art was incredible! A great length for a one shot too, excellent all round :D :D :D
This is a wonderful game! The sprites are beautifully drawn, the change in expression when mousing over the response choices is a clever addition, and the story is sadly tender while having also being funny and playful.
Thank you for this nice comment, I am glad you liked it! I spend a lot of time for the expression change on choice, so I am always happy when people notice this detail ahah. As for the writing, Our writer, Wudgeous, is really talented to mix all sort of emotions in a coherent story! <3
Love the game was very fun, beautiful graphics, the story is extraordinary... I have a question there was never a chance to break the curse that kept him in the castle?
This was so much fun! Exactly what I was looking for when I found it. Abigail, our sassy bard, had the best lines. Especially when going up against that dry humor of Lucius'. The two are quite a match. In shorter pieces like this, it's more important to have strong characters and interpersonal relationships; which this definitely had!
I don't want to get into spoilers, but the backstories for each were refreshing and believable. Funnily enough, I found myself feeling more sorry for Abi. Which was a surprise since I definitely fall into the category of people who are soft for vampires, lol. On the other hand, I have the feeling that we didn't learn the extent of Lucius' background...
The Bliss Vampire end was interesting. I really didn't expect that from Abigail, or for Lucius to follow her so easily. I don't know if it was your intent, but I read it as a bad end/ bittersweet end. This becomes even more interesting since I don't think the other Bliss End (Human) was sad at all. Mostly.
I'm so curious; what was going through your mind when planning out the endings? Did you always have them in mind when you began, or did they develop over time? The last important choice definitely has a bit of philosophy going on.
Anyways, thank you so much for putting in the time and energy to make this little game. It's absolutely lovely, quality work! I'm definitely going to be following this team.
I'm not a regular member of the Synstoria team - I'm just here for the game jam. :) If you like my writing style, please consider checking out my game-in-progress Herotome.~
To answer your question;
Ayael (the director/Synstoria herself) came up with the original premise wherein a sassy bard is chosen to be sacrificed to a bored vampire. From the beginning Ayael requested two good endings: one where the MC remains human, and one where the MC becomes a vampire and terrorizes the village who sacrificed her in the first place. "Good ending" in this case refers to how the MC (and her love interest to some extent) will never be killed, harmed, or plainly unhappy.
Of course once I got my grubby lil pizza hands on the story, I had to give both leads some humanizing backgrounds by establishing pre-existing connections. Although the game only stars the two characters, I knew it'd be vital to make them *care* about other people. Because if the characters don't care about anyone, why would the readers care?
The Bliss Ends represent the characters, especially Lucius, shedding their care for everyone other than the person they love. Instead, they choose to live quietly by isolating themselves and rejecting the dark realities of the outside world. Abigail and Lucius no longer make meaningful connections, and though they're happy enough staring at cave walls in each others' company, the sense of bittersweetness is definitely intentional. They give up on living, in a way, in favor of the blissful ignorance of focusing only on their love for each other. The vampire end is, of course, more lost in the sauce on this front. Hahahaha.
I want to add that while the last important choice does wear the guise of philosophy, it's also a literal (though subtle) inquiry where Lucius is asking whether or not he should bestow a terrible truth onto Abigail.
So the upcoming secret end, much like opening Pandora's Box (referred to as "Hesoid's Jar" in the game), will begin on a painful note but is ultimately hopeful: celebrating the connections they've made along the way, and helping Abigail and Lucius move forward together (while still being very much in love, of course).
To a small degree this is siphoned from my personal experience, from when I didn't know how unhealthy it was to prioritize one's romantic partner to the point of valuing little else. I'm always eager to take the opportunity in my writing to reflect the things I've learned in life.
"Upcoming Hesoid end" ? Is it still locked? Is it why I can't find a way to unlock it no matter how many choice variations I've been trying in game? O.o
This game is absolutely perfect. The story, the soundtrack, every little things in it are amazing. It already holds a place deep in my heart.
I also have a question. I have reached the part where Lucius asks '' What manner of person do you think you are? '' and i can only choose one of the two answers, more exactly '' I'd rather be blisfully happy ''.
I was wondering if it's supposed to be like that, based of past choices, or if it's a bug?
I exited the game and came to ask before choosing the first option, as i feared that this particular choice might influence negatively the ending i was hoping for.
Hello, I am glad you liked the game so far <3 You did nothing wrong! This option is greyed out, because this ending is not implemented yet in the script (it's the only thing we didn't have the time to do within the month time frame). We will do an update in a week or two to add it to the game!
No problem, I can totally understand it's a bit confusing ^^" And thank you! I am excited too for the release of Imperial Grace, but it was nice to do a shorter less ambitious game and to say "I FINISHED A GAME" ahah
Ok but seriously, I neglected all my chores because I KNEW i would LOVE this and I just HAD to play it as soon as possible.
BEAUTIFUL ART I didn't know a bunch of pretty pixels would be able to make me even MORE bisexual what the heck BUT HERE I AM. I loved the story, the music, worldbuilding AAAAAAAAAA!!! and the characters !!!!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!!! I loved the fact that i got to know both Abigail and Lucius as days (or nights?) pass and they just end up enjoying being with each other.
I won't talk about the writing bc I'm not fluent enough in english so I'm just going to say that I learned new fancy words today LMAO.
Your excitment is contagious I am so happy now ahah! Thank you for letting this review <3 Also as a non-native myself, I agree the writing is a bit hard to read (the language is very flowery, it works super well with the atmosphere but it's harder to read for non native with limited vocabulary like me!), but I am glad you were still able to learn more about the character enough to love them as much as we do <3
You had me at "extremely likable snarky female bard main character." Seriously, I love Abigail. (Lucius too, I think? I haven't fully played through all of the game yet.)
This game is SO ridiculously gorgeous in every way, from the art to the music to the writing. It's hard to believe it was made in just a month!
It's one of my top picks this year for my annual NaNoRenO spotlight post—here's the link if you'd like to check it out!
Thank you so much for featuring us, and for your kind comment! I am glad you like Abi snark huhu I hope you will enjoy the end of the game, and I am glad to discover your website, it looks super interesting!
Really well crafted VN , there is a lot of attention to details that I can really appreciate and the graphics as well as music and voice acting are on point to say the least.
The story begins really well and it's easy to immerse in the world and feel the tension of the main character predicament but I personally felt it started to drag a little too much on details after a while of reading.
This is more about my personal taste in stories and not a fault in the game, I just want to make that clear, even if I lost interest in the story after some plot point were revealed, It doesn't take anything from the masterful way this game is presented.
I really loved this visual novel. The writing and the art is just spectacular! The worldbuilding was done really well. It was so immersive and fascinating. The characters were compelling and lovable, not to mention the electrifying chemistry between them!
The only issue I can think of is that the pace was quite fast towards the end. It's quite apparent that the time constraints of the jam proved to be an obstacle. However, this visual novel is still amazing regardless, which goes to show just how much effort the team put into this. So honestly, thank you for creating this visual novel! look forward to the secret ending!!
Ballads at Midnight has a fantastic and amazingly well written story. The characters are somewhat relatable and very fleshed out. Very big fan of Lucius. Even though his humor is a bit dry, he has a lot of charm to him. Overall an enjoyable experience! <3
Thank you for this lovely comment, I love Lucius dry humor and all the softness burried behind it. Our writters did an incredible job with him I think <3
Oh that's very weird, it must be a itchio or an internet issue. Maybe try later and see if anything changed? If it doesn't send me a message at contact[at]synstoria.com I will send you a google drive link to download the game éwé.
This game was excellent! Super strong writing, great art, wonderful music. Please let me know when you release your next game, or the alternate ending to this one!
Hey, the best way to not miss the update is to follow this itchio account, I will post a major update when we released it. You can also join our discord if you want more day to day update. https://discord.gg/BPsUa6yzyZ
This is such a good game. Visually, it's striking in every way, be it thanks to the beautiful art style or the incredible UI. It just looks... so impressively put together.
And that contributes to giving the game its mesmerising atmosphere. The whole story is very intimate and compelling, and the characters are relatable and well written.
I can't wait to find out what happens in the secret ending!
Oh my gosh, this was such a lovely game. I loved gradually getting to know both Abigail and Lucius, two very charming and very lovable characters, and I loved how they fell in love with each other. The way their romance developed just felt so natural and sweet. Excited to see what happens in the secret ending!
I think I found my new favorite game. The attention to detail, the art style, the script, the voice acting absolutely wonderful. The music choices were also beautiful and overall I loved playing this game. I love how there isn't multiple characters I am forced to pick against and I just love how unique this game is. Wonderful work :)
Awww that's so nice, I am so happy to hear that <3 If you want to gush about the characters, don't hesitate to join our discord! https://discord.gg/BPsUa6yzyZ
I loved this game so much! The art was gorgeous and Lucius was definitely swoon-worthy. The banter between him and Abigail made me so happy. Abigail was so bad-ass and snarky. I can't wait to play your future projects!
Thank you so much, I am glad you like it! Don't hesitate to take a look at Herotome, the lead writter's project and Imperial Grace, my main project. They both has badass MC, and you can expect the same level of banter in Herotome since Wudge is so talented for this <3
This game is unimaginably beautiful :) I adore the vividness of the writing, the lovable, memorable, charismatic characters, off the charts chemistry, heartfelt story. The banter of the main characters is most enjoyable - I was chuckling out loud at a few moments :D
Thank you for this elegant and intriguing treat of a game! Looking forward to the other ending unlocked :)
The playthrough was lovely as the art was too, I would only like to know the reason Lucius was exiled and cursed? Unless I missed it I don't think it was explained. Thank you for sharing this game with us anyway!!
I'm writing the story behind Lucius's exile right now, it'll be in the upcoming secret ending (which will be unlocked by choosing the currently grayed out choice "I'd rather be curious, even if it hurts at first."). Thank you for your support, I hope it you'll like what we have in store! ❤️
Good story, great witty writing and attractive art. Loved it! I was wondering if a walkthrough or hint guide will ever be posted? I am aware it is still early at the moment, but I would love to be sure if I have read all there is to read in the game!
The only time the game branches is after chapter 7: There's the choice when Lucius takes you downstairs (where you can get the Departure End), and then a few more choices after you accept the romance (variations of the Bliss End). :) All the choices in chapters 1-6 have no long-term effects and are more cosmetic than anything, but I hope they're still fun. ❤️
Now that is interesting! Definitely going back to that to try everything out hahah. And yes the choices are all still very much amusing, even if they are cosmetic.
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I absolutely adore this game. It's so polished, so refined, radiant, even. The characters are both so endearing, I especially love that the MC isn't a blank slate. As fun as it can be to project onto a blank canvas, she is worth giving that up. Her story resonated with me, she's so well crafted all I wanted to do was to give her a hug. Her wit and charm amplifies the story and makes it something so much better. I don't even need to say anything about the vampire. He has officially reignited my vampire fever. I haven't been vampire crazy since Twilight but he... Reawakened my obsession. And what a character he is too...
The VA's did an incredible job bringing them both to life. The writing was superb, from the UI to the character art everything ties together into a lovely package. I'll admit, I've been checking every couple days to see if I can open Hesiod's Jar yet. I can't contain my excitement to think we'll see more of Abigail and Lucius. Every minute I spent playing this was a blast. I love love love it.
awww thank you so much <3 <3 <3 <3
So, I downloaded this game because of boredom, however, I can't emphasize enough how great it is! Both leads are excellent characters (with a lot of trauma btw). I spent my whole afternoon and early evening playing through the different endings (though I still can't get the "bad" one, I lack the balls).
The romance developed gradually and the tension only grew as the story progressed, and I loved those two. Abigail is such a great MC to follow and combined with Lucius... what a delightful duo.
I cannot stress enough how much fun I had playing. I can clearly see how much effort the team must have put into this project, every aspect of it is amazing. So kudos to everyone! I hope to play more of your games in the future.
Also, I read in one of the comments below that you're working on a secret ending and I am so excited to play it as soon as it releases (but please, take your time, don't feel pressured about it)
Thank you for taking the time to let this nice comment!!! We are so glad you liked the game <3 We are making good progress on the secret ending (the jar choice), and we can't wait to share it with everyone <3
This game... is a treasure. I loved every minute of it! I love both of our poor traumatized leads, and the romance was *chef's kiss* done so well. I do have a weakness for bonding over sad pasts, just the empathy and comfort it involves. It also felt longer than just two/three hours, maybe because I was so immersed! The art, the music, the atmosphere, the writing, the voices (! Lucius oh my)... ugh I loved it all.
SPOILERS! (sort of? maybe? just in case)
.
.
The first ending I got kind of gave me whiplash, but it also gave me a fit of the giggles at how I really should have seen it coming. But then I played the other "stay" ending and I was left so satisfied. (I still don't have the courage to do the "leave" ending lol i can't i just cAN'T i can't leave the sad mosquito boy behind).
I can't wait for the secret one that's coming! More of this game and these characters can only mean good things :D
Thank you for this comment! We are working hard on the extra ending, and it's already quite long so I hope you will love it as much!
This game is so polished and an absolute treasure! The art, music, and writing are fantastic, and there are so many little details I appreciated (sprite expressions when mousing over a choice to help indicate tone, little transitions in the background, sprite positioning, the way the player name changes throughout the game...).
I love Lucius and Abigail and, more importantly, their dynamic together and how it evolves throughout the game. It all felt very organic.
I wrote down some lines because the descriptions were *chef's kiss* and I want to keep them forever. (nonspoilery)
"protruding from the ground like a sword through someone's back"
"Questions swarm my mind like locusts, and my aimless wandering doesn't yield enough fruit to feed them."
Y'all are amazing! Thanks for this experience :D
Thank you for this nice coment, we are glad you liked the game <3 <3 <3
This is such a beautiful game ahh- the art and the soundtrack are both amazing! im in love <3 <3 the sassy remarks made me laugh a lot and lucius is such a sweetheart <3
i was wondering- is there something specific you have to do to unlock the secret ending or is it just not available yet?
either way 10/10 great game, thanks for making it!
Hey thank you for those kind words <3 The ending is not available yet, but soon (hopefully!)
Very beautiful game, I enjoyed it a lot!! The characters and story were very well done and the art was incredible! A great length for a one shot too, excellent all round :D :D :D
So happy thank you for this nice comment <3 <3 <3
This is a wonderful game! The sprites are beautifully drawn, the change in expression when mousing over the response choices is a clever addition, and the story is sadly tender while having also being funny and playful.
Thank you for this nice comment, I am glad you liked it! I spend a lot of time for the expression change on choice, so I am always happy when people notice this detail ahah. As for the writing, Our writer, Wudgeous, is really talented to mix all sort of emotions in a coherent story! <3
Love the game was very fun, beautiful graphics, the story is extraordinary... I have a question there was never a chance to break the curse that kept him in the castle?
Lead writer here!
You'll have to wait and see, won't you? >:)
Please stay tuned while we work on the secret ending~ Thank you for your support in the meantime!
This was so much fun! Exactly what I was looking for when I found it. Abigail, our sassy bard, had the best lines. Especially when going up against that dry humor of Lucius'. The two are quite a match. In shorter pieces like this, it's more important to have strong characters and interpersonal relationships; which this definitely had!
I don't want to get into spoilers, but the backstories for each were refreshing and believable. Funnily enough, I found myself feeling more sorry for Abi. Which was a surprise since I definitely fall into the category of people who are soft for vampires, lol. On the other hand, I have the feeling that we didn't learn the extent of Lucius' background...
The Bliss Vampire end was interesting. I really didn't expect that from Abigail, or for Lucius to follow her so easily. I don't know if it was your intent, but I read it as a bad end/ bittersweet end. This becomes even more interesting since I don't think the other Bliss End (Human) was sad at all. Mostly.
I'm so curious; what was going through your mind when planning out the endings? Did you always have them in mind when you began, or did they develop over time? The last important choice definitely has a bit of philosophy going on.
Anyways, thank you so much for putting in the time and energy to make this little game. It's absolutely lovely, quality work! I'm definitely going to be following this team.
<3 <3
Thank you for this detailed comment, I am glad you love the game! For the ending I will let our writer answer when they get back of their week end <3
But I definitely agree the vampire one is more bittersweet than the human one for the bliss version.
Lead writer here!
I'm not a regular member of the Synstoria team - I'm just here for the game jam. :) If you like my writing style, please consider checking out my game-in-progress Herotome.~
To answer your question;
Ayael (the director/Synstoria herself) came up with the original premise wherein a sassy bard is chosen to be sacrificed to a bored vampire. From the beginning Ayael requested two good endings: one where the MC remains human, and one where the MC becomes a vampire and terrorizes the village who sacrificed her in the first place. "Good ending" in this case refers to how the MC (and her love interest to some extent) will never be killed, harmed, or plainly unhappy.
Of course once I got my grubby lil pizza hands on the story, I had to give both leads some humanizing backgrounds by establishing pre-existing connections. Although the game only stars the two characters, I knew it'd be vital to make them *care* about other people. Because if the characters don't care about anyone, why would the readers care?
The Bliss Ends represent the characters, especially Lucius, shedding their care for everyone other than the person they love. Instead, they choose to live quietly by isolating themselves and rejecting the dark realities of the outside world. Abigail and Lucius no longer make meaningful connections, and though they're happy enough staring at cave walls in each others' company, the sense of bittersweetness is definitely intentional. They give up on living, in a way, in favor of the blissful ignorance of focusing only on their love for each other. The vampire end is, of course, more lost in the sauce on this front. Hahahaha.
I want to add that while the last important choice does wear the guise of philosophy, it's also a literal (though subtle) inquiry where Lucius is asking whether or not he should bestow a terrible truth onto Abigail.
So the upcoming secret end, much like opening Pandora's Box (referred to as "Hesoid's Jar" in the game), will begin on a painful note but is ultimately hopeful: celebrating the connections they've made along the way, and helping Abigail and Lucius move forward together (while still being very much in love, of course).
To a small degree this is siphoned from my personal experience, from when I didn't know how unhealthy it was to prioritize one's romantic partner to the point of valuing little else. I'm always eager to take the opportunity in my writing to reflect the things I've learned in life.
Hope that answers your question! <3
Yes please check Herotome everyone, it's a super cool super hero story with such a lovely cast <3
"Upcoming Hesoid end" ?
Is it still locked?
Is it why I can't find a way to unlock it no matter how many choice variations I've been trying in game? O.o
Hmm very weird.. Did you reload directly the choice from a save?
Do you have the last version of the game (the one with "final" in the .zip)?
if the problem persist, it might be a renpy bug requiring to delete the datas of the game in the appdata folder.
I installed the game only once it was finished, so I figured I had the last version ><
So it was a game version problem? (Unfortunately, itchio doesn't allow to update game directly contrary to steam >.<)
Hello!
This game is absolutely perfect. The story, the soundtrack, every little things in it are amazing. It already holds a place deep in my heart.
I also have a question. I have reached the part where Lucius asks '' What manner of person do you think you are? '' and i can only choose one of the two answers, more exactly '' I'd rather be blisfully happy ''.
I was wondering if it's supposed to be like that, based of past choices, or if it's a bug?
I exited the game and came to ask before choosing the first option, as i feared that this particular choice might influence negatively the ending i was hoping for.
Hello, I am glad you liked the game so far <3 You did nothing wrong! This option is greyed out, because this ending is not implemented yet in the script (it's the only thing we didn't have the time to do within the month time frame). We will do an update in a week or two to add it to the game!
OOOH. Oops. Sorry. And thank you so much! I can't wait to finish the game.
It is truly amazing and it feeds my little ( hungry for fantasy romance) heart.
Again, thank you and good luck with your future games and plans.
P.S. I can't wait for Imperial Grace to come out. I bet it will be even more amazing.
<3 <3 <3
No problem, I can totally understand it's a bit confusing ^^" And thank you! I am excited too for the release of Imperial Grace, but it was nice to do a shorter less ambitious game and to say "I FINISHED A GAME" ahah
Me, a Prisoner: *is turned on by danger*
Ok but seriously, I neglected all my chores because I KNEW i would LOVE this and I just HAD to play it as soon as possible.
BEAUTIFUL ART I didn't know a bunch of pretty pixels would be able to make me even MORE bisexual what the heck BUT HERE I AM. I loved the story, the music, worldbuilding AAAAAAAAAA!!! and the characters !!!!! I LOVE THEM SO MUCH !!!!! I loved the fact that i got to know both Abigail and Lucius as days (or nights?) pass and they just end up enjoying being with each other.
I won't talk about the writing bc I'm not fluent enough in english so I'm just going to say that I learned new fancy words today LMAO.
Your excitment is contagious I am so happy now ahah! Thank you for letting this review <3 Also as a non-native myself, I agree the writing is a bit hard to read (the language is very flowery, it works super well with the atmosphere but it's harder to read for non native with limited vocabulary like me!), but I am glad you were still able to learn more about the character enough to love them as much as we do <3
You had me at "extremely likable snarky female bard main character." Seriously, I love Abigail. (Lucius too, I think? I haven't fully played through all of the game yet.)
This game is SO ridiculously gorgeous in every way, from the art to the music to the writing. It's hard to believe it was made in just a month!
It's one of my top picks this year for my annual NaNoRenO spotlight post—here's the link if you'd like to check it out!
Thank you so much for featuring us, and for your kind comment! I am glad you like Abi snark huhu I hope you will enjoy the end of the game, and I am glad to discover your website, it looks super interesting!
The story begins really well and it's easy to immerse in the world and feel the tension of the main character predicament but I personally felt it started to drag a little too much on details after a while of reading.
This is more about my personal taste in stories and not a fault in the game, I just want to make that clear, even if I lost interest in the story after some plot point were revealed, It doesn't take anything from the masterful way this game is presented.
Keep the good work!
Thank you for this review and let's play. And no problem, everyone has different taste on different things <3
I really loved this visual novel. The writing and the art is just spectacular! The worldbuilding was done really well. It was so immersive and fascinating. The characters were compelling and lovable, not to mention the electrifying chemistry between them!
The only issue I can think of is that the pace was quite fast towards the end. It's quite apparent that the time constraints of the jam proved to be an obstacle. However, this visual novel is still amazing regardless, which goes to show just how much effort the team put into this. So honestly, thank you for creating this visual novel! look forward to the secret ending!!
Thank you very much for this kind comment <3
Ballads at Midnight has a fantastic and amazingly well written story. The characters are somewhat relatable and very fleshed out. Very big fan of Lucius. Even though his humor is a bit dry, he has a lot of charm to him. Overall an enjoyable experience! <3
Thank you for this lovely comment, I love Lucius dry humor and all the softness burried behind it. Our writters did an incredible job with him I think <3
Everytime i try to download the windows version i keep getting a "failed download error" i dont know what's going wrong ...:/
Oh that's very weird, it must be a itchio or an internet issue. Maybe try later and see if anything changed? If it doesn't send me a message at contact[at]synstoria.com I will send you a google drive link to download the game éwé.
Thank you so much! I will try it again later then.
Wonderfull game,i didn't expect that in the vampire ending.The art is gorgeous and the writing is super well done.Thank you
Ahah yes, I know what you mean :p I am glad you liked it!
This game was excellent! Super strong writing, great art, wonderful music. Please let me know when you release your next game, or the alternate ending to this one!
Hey, the best way to not miss the update is to follow this itchio account, I will post a major update when we released it. You can also join our discord if you want more day to day update. https://discord.gg/BPsUa6yzyZ
I am very happy you liked the game <3
This is such a good game. Visually, it's striking in every way, be it thanks to the beautiful art style or the incredible UI. It just looks... so impressively put together.
And that contributes to giving the game its mesmerising atmosphere. The whole story is very intimate and compelling, and the characters are relatable and well written.
I can't wait to find out what happens in the secret ending!
Thank youuuuuuuu <3 <3 <3
Oh my gosh, this was such a lovely game. I loved gradually getting to know both Abigail and Lucius, two very charming and very lovable characters, and I loved how they fell in love with each other. The way their romance developed just felt so natural and sweet. Excited to see what happens in the secret ending!
We are working on it! I am glad you loved the game <3
I think I found my new favorite game. The attention to detail, the art style, the script, the voice acting absolutely wonderful. The music choices were also beautiful and overall I loved playing this game. I love how there isn't multiple characters I am forced to pick against and I just love how unique this game is. Wonderful work :)
Awww that's so nice, I am so happy to hear that <3 If you want to gush about the characters, don't hesitate to join our discord! https://discord.gg/BPsUa6yzyZ
I loved this game so much! The art was gorgeous and Lucius was definitely swoon-worthy. The banter between him and Abigail made me so happy. Abigail was so bad-ass and snarky. I can't wait to play your future projects!
Thank you so much, I am glad you like it! Don't hesitate to take a look at Herotome, the lead writter's project and Imperial Grace, my main project. They both has badass MC, and you can expect the same level of banter in Herotome since Wudge is so talented for this <3
Herotome: https://wudgeous.itch.io/herotome (demo on itchio)
Imperial Grace: https://synstoria.itch.io/imperial-grace (Demo on itchio & steam)
This game is unimaginably beautiful :)
I adore the vividness of the writing, the lovable, memorable, charismatic characters, off the charts chemistry, heartfelt story.
The banter of the main characters is most enjoyable - I was chuckling out loud at a few moments :D
Thank you for this elegant and intriguing treat of a game!
Looking forward to the other ending unlocked :)
Thank you for your kind word, I am glad you liked our game <3
The playthrough was lovely as the art was too, I would only like to know the reason Lucius was exiled and cursed? Unless I missed it I don't think it was explained. Thank you for sharing this game with us anyway!!
Lead writer here!
I'm writing the story behind Lucius's exile right now, it'll be in the upcoming secret ending (which will be unlocked by choosing the currently grayed out choice "I'd rather be curious, even if it hurts at first."). Thank you for your support, I hope it you'll like what we have in store! ❤️
Oops, I've been too impatient! Thank you for answering me, I'll look forward to the update!
Good story, great witty writing and attractive art. Loved it! I was wondering if a walkthrough or hint guide will ever be posted? I am aware it is still early at the moment, but I would love to be sure if I have read all there is to read in the game!
Lead writer here!
The only time the game branches is after chapter 7: There's the choice when Lucius takes you downstairs (where you can get the Departure End), and then a few more choices after you accept the romance (variations of the Bliss End). :) All the choices in chapters 1-6 have no long-term effects and are more cosmetic than anything, but I hope they're still fun. ❤️
Oh shoot I just remembered there's also the MC's name entry screen, lots of missable stuff there.
Alrighty, I'll write a short hint/guide for you guys soon. Please look forward to it.~
Now that is interesting! Definitely going back to that to try everything out hahah. And yes the choices are all still very much amusing, even if they are cosmetic.
The gag one, always kill me.
Hi there, I'm back 2 months later -- the walkthrough can be downloaded here: https://wudgeous.itch.io/bam-extras
Enjoy!
Aw thank you for taking the time for it!
Good art, music and very entertaining interactions between all characters. Quickwitted MC with the gift of the gab which is always a huge + for me
Thank you for your kind word! I also wish I had as much comeback than the MC, I love her, writers did an incredible job with her lines!!!